


Color Theory

by Test_Tube_Writer



Series: RevaZel Stories [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hair Braiding, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Pining, Rated T for swearing, Revali teaches Zelda archery, Rito Lore, Zelda reads Revali like a book and he can't handle it, but Zelda comes off as oblivious, the confession is kinda vague because it’s these idiots we’re talking about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Test_Tube_Writer/pseuds/Test_Tube_Writer
Summary: Zelda is paying a visit to Rito Village, and Revali takes her to the Flight Range to show off his skills. They end up having a conversation about color, what colors mean to the Rito, and Revali's deepest secrets.
Relationships: Revali/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: RevaZel Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033197
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	1. Up and Over

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a second chapter to this! I'm working on this work and another simultaneously so the going's been slow, but I think you guys will enjoy both of the works when they're done. Don't forget to comment if you enjoy!

Revali had taken Zelda to the Flight Range. While most would say he did it to show off he preferred to see it as reminding the princess why he deserved to be called a Champion. Zelda’s visit may have been to check on Van Medoh, but Revali found it rather dull for her to make the trek all the way to the Hebra region just to see his Divine Beast. While she was here she might as well be astounded by him and his abilities as well as his Beast’s. 

He had been shooting at targets for a while now. His Gale carried him to and fro with ease. Zelda was standing on the Flight Range’s landing watching him intently. Or at least she had been. When Revali rose above the Range and looked down she was missing. What was the good of showing off if she wasn’t watching? 

He landed on the narrow platform and stepped into the small gazebo-like structure. Zelda was standing at the back wall with a swallow bow in her hands. Revali has been irritated with her for robbing him of his audience, but when she turned around she was beaming, and suddenly all was forgiven. 

“I love how colorful the Rito weapons are.” she said running a finger over the multicolored bow. 

“Really?” he asked. 

“Oh yes! All the weapons at the castle look the same. Some of the bigger ones have gold or blue accents, but your bows and spears, even the hilts on your little daggers have so many colors on them.” She cradled the bow like it was something precious. 

Swallow bows were incredibly common to the Rito, but he assumed that to her it was something one of a kind. He too had noticed the plainness of Hylian weaponry. Even the Sword of Legend that he knight wielded was rather dull looking. 

“I suppose that color just isn’t as important to Hylians as it is to us Rito.” He took the Great Eagle Bow from his back and laid it aside. He was rather cold after all that flying. Sitting by the fire for a while, especially with the princess’s company, sounded divine. 

Seeing him sit next to the cooking pot Zelda took a seat on its other side. Revali noticed that she had kept the swallow bow with her. It sat in her lap as she faced him with sparkling eyes. 

“How do you mean? Is color an important part of Rito culture?” she asked. 

He held his wings towards the fire and let the frost on his feathers melt and drip away. “Extremely. Every color has a meaning to us, and we use them appropriately. The beads in our hair have different meanings depending on the color.” He pointed his beak to the side so that she could see his braids and the beads that adorned their ends. “Green is a sign of weaponry prowess. When fledgling Rito pass their first archery competition they are awarded with green beads to show that they have perfected archery combat.”

Zelda crawled around the pot to his side. She was just getting a closer look at his beads, but having her move closer so suddenly made his feathers rise. 

“May I touch them?” she asked. 

For a Rito to let anyone touch their hair was a highly personal endeavor. It meant that they trusted that person completely, or that they could even have feelings for them. Zelda was Hylian, so of course she had no idea what she was asking. But, that also meant that there was no harm in letting her do as she asked, was there? It wasn’t as if she would do him any harm so...he could say that he did trust her, if not completely then close enough. As for having feelings for her...

Revali turned his face away from her, giving her full access to his hair. He expected her to only touch one of the beads, maybe even hold the end of a braid in her hand. Instead he felt her fingers close around the middle of one, and move down along the tightly interwoven locks. 

His feathers puffed and he cleared his throat to cover the undignified, bird-like cheep that rose from his chest. It must have been some sort of instinct that came with having someone else’s hand in his hair. Revali had never had anyone other than himself handle his braids before. He’d grown up without parents to teach it or do it for him. If any adult Rito were to braid it for him then they would be claiming him as their own, and adopting an abandoned hatchling required a great deal of thought. And, he would begrudgingly admit, he had been a rather difficult child. Now, sitting here by the fire with Zelda running her hands through his braided hair, he was struck by the feeling that he had been missing out on something incredible. 

“They’re glass!” She said suddenly. 

Ah, right, the beads.

“You get glass beads when you’ve mastered a weapon.” He almost choked on another noise. “Before that you’re awarded beads made of clay.” 

Zelda felt the spiked edges of his braids and a soft trilling sound escaped him. He stiffened in horror as the princess laughed. 

“Was that you?” She asked. 

“No!” He cried. His feathers were standing on end, making him look almost twice as big. 

“Do you like having your hair played with?” 

How immature that sounded. Revali, the living legend, cooing over a Hylian touching his hair. It was disgraceful. He started to say as much, but Zelda was talking again. 

“My mother used to braid my hair for me. Sometimes when she was reading I would put my head in her lap so she could stroke my hair.” 

He clicked his beak closed. She was talking of the late queen of Hyrule. He didn’t know anything about her besides that she was dead. That may sound incredibly insensitive, but it was true. He had never paid the slightest ounce of attention to what Hylians were calling themselves kings or queens, much less princess. Not until Zelda had shown up at least. 

“I-“ curse her for making him feel so vulnerable - “I’ve never had anyone touch my hair before.” 

“Never?” Her voice was incredulous. “However did you learn to braid it then?”

“I watched the other Rito and practiced. That’s how I learned archery. That’s how I learned how to fly.” 

Zelda’s hands were soft and gentle as they ran over the lengths of his braids. He was warm all over and his heart was pounding. If he were to take off soaring over the tallest cliffs of the Hebra mountains he doubted he would even feel a chill. 

“None of the other Rito have offered to braid them for you?” She asked after a long stretch of silence. “You’re a champion of Hyrule. Surely it would be an honor for them.” 

Ah, that Hylian ignorance. She had no idea what she was really asking. The Rito didn’t just braid each other's hair casually unless they were family. Braiding was an intimate act. It was one of the final steps of the mating process. At Rito weddings the couple would braid their marriage beads into each other's hair as a symbol of their trust and faith in eachother. Even if another Rito were to ask to braid his hair it would only be after the long process of meeting, bonding, and possibly falling in love. While it was true that close friends would braid each other's hair, that was not only a rare occurrence, but gaining that much mutual trust took almost as long as the mating ritual. Absolute trust is what braiding represents. Trust, and something more. 

“It’s not that simple, princess. And, really, it’s not something you should worry yourself about.” He replied. 

Zelda’s hands stilled. Revali missed the movement immediately. 

“If you’d like - you probably wouldn’t, but, if you ever would - I wouldn’t mind doing your braids for you sometime.” 

A lesser Rito would have panicked. Revali didn’t panic. At least, he tried his hardest not to. Zelda was Hylian. What she was offering to do didn’t mean the same for him as it did for her. This carried all the meaning of one Hylian offering to hold something for another. His head was perfectly aware of all this, but his heart wasn’t. The pleasant warmth he had basked in before turned searing. His stomach felt uneasy. Was he getting sick? Was he dying? 

He didn’t know how long he was sitting there, but apparently it was long enough to upset Zelda. When he gained some semblance of clarity he could feel that her hands were no longer in his hair. He turned around and saw that she had retreated back to the other side of the cooking pot. She ran her hands over the swallow bow, her eyes avoiding his. 

“I shouldn’t have said that. It didn’t know it would upset you, otherwise I never would have done so.”

“No, no princess!” That feeling in his stomach was worse now. He had upset Zelda, and it made him feel awful. “I wasn’t upset I was just, ah, surprised.” 

Zelda looked up. She really did have the most beautiful eyes. 

“You see, the truth is,” he stammered. “To offer to braid another person’s hair…it...it says something about the relationship between them.” 

Her eyes widened, but her composure didn’t change. “What does it say about them?” 

Damn her ignorance. How unbecoming of a champion to be left so blind sided and wordless while the princess sat there, taking all of this new information as if she were discussing it over tea! That must be the scientist side of her. Always looking to learn something new. Or maybe it was just a common princess trait to be able to hear any news with a blank expression so as not to cause alarm. On the inside was she burning up like he was? The cold had already flushed her cheeks and ears so it was impossible to tell. Ah, how utterly...adorable that made her look. 

“It, I, uhh,” damnit damnit damnit! Just spit something out you absolute fool, he screamed inside his head. “Braiding is reserved for only the closest of friends and married couples.” 

It all came out in an undignified rush, but he was just relieved to have it out in the open. He was expecting Zelda to give him a moment to gather himself after that, but she didn’t waste a moment. 

“And you were surprised that I consider you a close friend?” she asked. 

Revali blinked. “Did you...know this already?” 

“No! Well, maybe. I had a theory.” She pulled a small notebook from within the confines of her coat. “I’ve been studying the cultures of the other races of Hyrule. Now that I’ve been traveling all over the kingdom to help prepare for Ganon’s return I’ve been able to experience it firsthand. The books on culture in the castle library were written by Hylians, and while I’m sure they were trying their best I’m afraid their notes are extremely lacking.” 

Revali bristled. “So you said what you did to gauge my reaction? To see if your little hypothesis was correct?” 

Zelda frowned. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t know what it meant.”

“But you didn’t! You said you had a theory.” 

“My theory was about whether you would accept or not.” She scowled at him; her eyebrows furrowed. “Believe what you will about me, Revali, but I am not stupid. I am perfectly aware that you are prideful, and arrogant, and that you hold yourself above everyone else.” 

He opened his beak to defend himself, but a look from the princess had him closing it again. 

“I can also see that you push yourself too hard. I think that you’re lonely, too. I never see you interact with the other Rito. Urbosa, Daruk, and Mipha are never alone in their homes. They’re always greeted by friends and allies. But you are always here. By yourself.” Her voice was softer and tears were beading in her eyes. “You’re just like me, Revali. You might hate to hear it but it’s true. Being alone, isolated the way I am hurts me so much. It must hurt you too.” 

Revali didn’t speak. He didn’t blink, or move, or even breathe. She was right. The clever girl was right. Partially. He’d been on his own his whole life and it had never bothered him until this champion business began. It hadn’t bothered him until she started coming around. Being alone hurt, but not until she was gone. 

He was fine being apart from the Rito. They had all looked down on him as a child from an egg that wasn’t meant to hatch without parents to care for and keep it warm. Now that he was a champion, now that they all looked at him with pride, he refused to indulge in their company. They didn’t deserve it. But the princess, Zelda, he was desperate for hers. He would wait for her to return to Rito Village, and he would attend every champion gathering as long as she was there. Now, however, after having her offer to braid his hair and then reveal that reading him was so painfully easy, he couldn’t stand to be near her. It was too much. 

He ran for the landing and threw himself off. There was no time to summon a Gale. He had to leave now. The Flight Range’s natural updraft caught his wings and carried him up and over the surrounding walls of rock. He caught sight of Medoh circling the village and flew towards it as fast as he could. He dared not look back to see if Zelda was watching.


	2. Over and Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda struggles on her own to learn how to use the Swallow Bow, until Revali appears. Apologies are exchanged, confessions are said, and promises are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience! This one was a doozy. I was trying to find the perfect balance between sharing my headcanons and sticking to the plot. Then there’s the archery bit where I share some of my real-life archery knowledge (I took it in 4-H). I really, really hope you enjoy this, and please please please leave a comment if you do! Thanks!

The arrow flew forward wobbling like a drunken man. It buried itself in the dirt about a foot short of the target. Zelda huffed and stamped her foot. It really was useless, wasn’t it? She couldn’t do a damn thing right. 

After she’d chased Revali away she’d left the Flight Range. It was a long and quiet ride back to the village. She would have made her way straight to the stable where her royal escort was waiting, but she had to see the elder first. Without Revali there to ask for permission, she felt it only right to ask him before leaving with the Swallow Bow. 

She really was captivated by it. It was lighter that Hylian made bows, and of course the colorful body made it incredibly striking. It may have been selfish to want a weapon just for its look, but she couldn’t find it in herself to leave it behind. It wasn’t as if Revali would be using it anyways. 

Of course the elder had asked if Revali had refused to let her have it. Why else would she be asking his permission? Zelda had lied to him. Something about the champion spotting a camp of monsters and leaving to dispatch them. The elder had offered to give her several bows but she declined. She had already insulted their champion. She didn’t deserve to take anything more from them. 

Truthfully, Zelda had wanted to take up archery for some time. She was tired of being dead weight when her traveling party was accosted by monsters or the Yiga Clan. Of course she didn’t have the strength or agility for swords or spears, and there was no way that her father would allow her to practice any such thing. So she had turned to the long range weapons. Bows came in a variety of sizes, some of which were small enough to carry on her travels without much hassle. She had been considering asking Mipha for one of the small silver fishing bows the Zora made before she had seen the Swallow Bow. Now the only problem was learning how to use it. 

She had asked Link for countless demonstrations on how he used his bow, and he had obliged her every time. If Revali could learn his techniques through demonstration alone then so could she! But still she struggled. The bow string put up more resistance than she’d expected, and to let it go chafed at her fingers. She had yet to have an arrow even reach the target, much less have one fly in a straight line. 

It was embarrassing. Pathetic. So she practiced at night. Impa would sneak up to her tower, and smuggle her past Link and the other guards, all the way to the training field where the soldiers practiced their archery. The Sheika had never used bows before, but she hated watching her friend struggle. Impa had offered to start taking lessons and then pass on the instruction to her, but Zelda refused. 

“I’m sure that I can figure this out on my own.” she’d said. 

“You need to stop hanging out with Revali.” had been Impa’s response. 

Zelda looked down at the bow in her hands. If Revali were here she could ask him what she was doing wrong. He would be able to point out every flaw in her technique, no doubt. It would sting, but she deserved it, didn’t she? She had been so tactless at the Flight Range. Everything had come rushing out of her mouth before she could even think of how the Rito would react. Of course it was never easy to hear things about yourself - deep, painful truths - coming from another person, but she never would have thought he would run away. Now there was nothing she could do to fix it. Just another failure of the princess of Hyrule. 

Just like how she’d failed to awaken her powers. Just like how she’d failed to be of use to the champions. Just like how she’d failed to hear the wingbeats overhead. 

“Do all beginners have to practice in the dark?”

Zelda spun around. Even in the dark there was no mistaking Revali’s silhouette. 

“No wonder Hylian archers are so terrible.” he sighed. 

“Revali.” Zelda didn’t know what to say. There was no reason for him to be here especially after what had happened at the Flight Range. “What are you doing here?”

Revali hopped down from the railing he had perched on. “If you can read me so well then isn’t it obvious?”

Zelda looked down at the Swallow Bow. Of course he would have noticed it was missing, and she was the only one who could have taken it. There was no way he would allow a weapon of the Rito to be used by someone as useless on the battlefield as herself. 

“You must be here for this, then.” She approached him and held out the bow. 

For a moment he seemed to battle with himself. He shifted and Zelda expected him to move away from her. Instead he extended his wing and lifted the bow from her grasp. He looked it over before presenting it back to her. 

“The string is starting to fray. Ask that little knight of yours for some wax and it’ll be good as new.” 

“You’re not taking it back?” She asked, refusing to reach for it. Revali wouldn’t be so cruel as to pull it away as she did, but after she had hurt him so…

“No. I didn’t come here for this. Swallow Bows might seem precious to you, but they’re no treasure to us. They’re common bows produced en masse for soldiers and guards. In all honesty, you’ll most likely give this bow a better life than it would have collecting dust at the Flight Range. I haven’t used one since I was a chick and I have no plans to use one ever again.” 

Zelda eyed the Great Eagle Bow on his back. Of course Revali wouldn’t use anything besides his signature weapon. After a brief hesitation she took the bow from him and held it to her chest. She hadn’t realized how much losing it would hurt her. Having back and safe in her arms was a great relief. 

“Why are you here then? It’s a long way from Rito Vil-“

“Can I tell you what you’re doing wrong?” He interrupted. He avoided her eyes by assessing each target that littered the training field. No doubt he knew exactly how to hit each one in the most theatrical way possible. “I won’t say a word if you don’t want me to, but I feel as if you could learn from it.”

Zelda nodded. He was avoiding the conversation, but she wouldn’t push him. If ignoring what had happened between them was what it took to be on speaking terms again then she would not complain. 

“You’re holding the bow too far away from yourself.” He pulled the Great Eagle Bow from his back in a swift, practiced motion. He changed his stance and drew it, string stretching across his front. “You have to bring the string back to the side of your face in order to aim properly. At least a beginner does.”

“I can’t.” Zelda blushed. “If I do then firing it...hurts my chest.”

Revali relaxed the string. “Then you need a chest guard. Us Rito have them incorporated into our clothing,” he gestured to the metal plate on his front, “if you’re worried about your royal fashion sense then you can wear it under your dress. It’s better than hurting yourself whenever you try to use the bow. Also your stance is completely wrong. Does that knight think he’s above sharing this with you? Because it’s basic archery. Every Rito hatchling knows this.” 

They spent hours together in the archery field. Revali talked and Zelda listened. Sometimes she would interrupt with a question or retrieve her notebook to record a bit of advice he would share. He taught her how to stand, what positions to hold the bow for different distances, and she finally hit one of the targets. She’d clapped and cheered, turning to see Revali smiling at her. When their eyes met he looked away. 

It was almost sunrise when he called their practice to an end. The princess wasn’t even tired. Her fingers were sore and her arms were burning but she was happy. Revali was speaking to her again, and not only that but he was helping her as well. When she’d been standing alone watching him fly away all those weeks ago she’d feared he would never set foot in the same room as her again. As she gathered her arrows - pulling them from the target instead of the ground - Revali cleared his throat. 

“Princess,” he began, “the reason I came here tonight, the real reason, was…well, it was uh-“

“Revali,” she stopped him, “I should be the one apologizing. It was terrible the things I said. I shouldn’t have thought that I could make such accusations about you.”

He gave a long sigh and closed his eyes. “No, princess, everything you said was true. I would never say as much to anyone else, I’ll have you know, so you’d better appreciate my honesty.” He looked up at her from under his feathered brows, head bowed almost to his chest. It was causing him great strain to say all this. “It was...cowardly of me to react the way I did. It was despicable and pathetic that I would act in such a way. Especially towards you, princess.” 

“Does this mean that we’re friends again?” she asked hopefully. 

Revali’s feathers rose and he turned his head away. “That is, erm, about that.”

He reached for his side and Zelda noticed that he had a satchel slung across his shoulder. He fiddled with it before retrieving a small box and held it out to her. She took it and looked it over. It was small, but not overly so. It looked to be some sort of travel case and had a small metal latch on the front. Feathers had been carved into the corners to add a minimal yet elegant artistic design. She looked at Revali for direction. 

“Come now, princess, use your scientific brain.” He crossed his arms and turned looking at her from the corner of his eye. 

She unclasped the latch and opened the box. Inside it was lined with multicolored cloth. Silver combs and brushes were nestled inside next to a small bottle and a handful of green glass beads. 

“What is this?” she asked. 

Revali shuffled his feet. “I came here to ask, if you wouldn’t mind terribly….to braid my hair.” 

Rito hair was remarkably human-like. Zelda had guessed as such from seeing the way that female Rito were able to style theirs, but running her fingers through it she was reminded of just how soft it was. Revali’s blue hair hung down his back. It was longer when it wasn’t braided, reaching just past his shoulder blades. While she checked his hair for knots he looked over her Swallow Bow. 

They were back at the Flight Range nearly two months after their last disastrous meeting. She had braided his hair nearly a dozen times since then. The first time she’d done so was the night after their first archery lesson. Revali had had a hard time with it. When Zelda removed his beads and combed out his hair for the first time he had made over a dozen bird calls. He’d stood up, embarrassed and frustrated, until Zelda calmed him down. After she’d sworn up and down never to speak a word of it to anyone they’d continued. 

Apparently only hatchlings were so noisy when it came to braiding, but Revali had never had his hair braided by someone else before. She dared not say anything - he would probably throw a fit - but she found it adorable when he chirped and crooned. He had gotten quieter as she handled him more and more, but when he did make a sound it let her know that she was doing it right. 

Satisfied with her detangling Zelda retrieved the small bottle of oil from Revali’s braiding box. When Rito had evolved (from birds their historians claimed) they had not developed a way to keep their feathers from drying out. Common birds had an oil gland that they used to keep their feathers soft and water resistant. The Rito instead hand crafted their own special oils and lotions to keep their feathers in top shape. It was common practice to rub oil into their hair before braiding it as handling the hair dried it out. Zelda uncorked the bottle and rubbed it on her hands. Rito oil came in many scents, and today Revali had chosen oil with the sharp scent of fresh pine. 

She started at his roots, messaging the oil into his scalp. He crooned in response and tilted his head back into her hands. Zelda giggled as she moved her hands down his locks. 

“You gain far too much enjoyment from doing that to me.” Revali said. His voice lacked any edge to it. She might even be tempted to say that he sounded fond of her. 

“It means you’re happy,” she stroked his hair, “and so it makes me happy.” 

Revali’s feathers ruffled. “Is it really that easy to make you happy, princess?” 

“Honestly, it’s harder to find happy moments these days with Calamity Ganon looming over us. But I always enjoy the time we spend together.” 

Revali set her bow aside and rested his wings in his lap. He closed his eyes, letting himself relax and bask in the warm feeling that the princess’s words left in his chest. She separated his hair into thirds and he chirped softly. Strangely he didn’t feel any shame in it. 

As Zelda began winding his hair into braids her eyes drifted to her Swallow Bow. The light from the fire gave its multicolored body a warm glow. 

“Revali?” she asked. 

“Hmm?”

“Remember how you were telling me about Rito hair beads the last time we were here?” 

Revali opened one eye. The Flight Range’s landing stretched out in front of him. The last time they were here he had flung himself over the edge, desperate to get away from Zelda and her teary, heart wrenching words. He had spent days alone on the back of Vah Medoh battling with himself over his emotions. He had wanted to convince himself that he wasn’t lonely or overcompensating; he wanted to convince himself that he was happy with the way his life was. But he couldn’t. Zelda had brought his attention to it, and those lonely days on Medoh’s back tore him up inside. He’d been desperate for conversation, for company, and somehow for touch as well. The feeling of hands on his braids had haunted him. It was what had finally driven him to leave Medoh, grab his braiding box, and make for Hyrule Castle as fast as his wings could carry him (which was exceptionally fast, of course).

“Yes, I do recall.” he answered slowly. 

“You never told me what the rest of the colors mean.” She secured the first braid with a thick piece of ribbon and retrieved a glass bead from the box. Holding it up the fire light set it glowing with a warm hue. “Green is for weapon prowess. Would you mind telling me the rest of them?”

“Not at all,” he said puffing his chest. “Say any color and I can tell you it’s meaning. Go ahead.” 

Zelda thought for a moment. She remembered the Rito she had seen milling about the village and tried to remember what colors they had adorned their hair with. 

“Red?” She asked finally. 

“Red is symbolic of parenthood.” Revali answered. “Any Rito with red beads has a chick waiting for them at home. Some Rito will wear larger beads if they have multiple children.” 

“Why do the female Rito wear those earrings instead of beads?” Zelda asked. 

“Us Rito don't have male and female,” he corrected, “we classify ourselves as egg layers and those who can’t lay eggs. The ‘earrings’ as you call them are worn by Rito who prefer to wear their hair down instead of in braids. Beads are a tradition, not a requirement, and some Rito prefer to accessorize in other ways. Especially since the state of one’s hair can aid in attracting possible mates.” 

“Fascinating,” Zelda said. She secured Revali’s second braid and slipped a bead over the ribbon. “What about yellow?”

Revali stiffened. “Princess,” he sighed, “you really don’t waste any time, do you?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not at all. You just seem to know exactly what to say to leave me speechless.” 

Zelda frowned and waited for him to elaborate. 

“Yellow beads are engagement beads. They work the same as your Hylian wedding rings. The final step of the mating process is that the romantically involved Rito craft or present yellow colored beads to each other, then they braid them into each other’s hair during the wedding ceremony.”

“Craft them?” Zelda asked. 

“You might have noticed that not all Rito with red beads or earrings have their engagement beads. When Rito have hatchlings one of the parents will stop wearing their bead and save it so that their hatchling might use it for their partner. If a Rito has no bead from their parents, or the bead was lost or broken, then they must create one. That’s why wedding beads are so precious: they can be made of anything. Most are either made of clay or glass, but some Rito tend to get creative. I once saw an engagement bead made of resin with yellow flower petals preserved inside.” 

“That’s so romantic.” 

“Of course you’d think so.”

“You don’t?”

Revali took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. “Should fate have it I will be the Rito to make the most elaborate engagement bead my kind has ever seen.” 

Zelda paused her braiding. “What will you make it out of, Revali?”

“A precious gemstone. A topaz or something of the like. Anyone able to capture the heart of the legend of the Rito deserves an engagement bead worthy of such a feat.” 

Zelda smiled, but she had a strange feeling in her stomach. “Well, I hope that they can give you one just as stunning in return.” 

“Oh, I doubt it.” he replied. “But that’s alright. My bead will be legendary and that is what truly matters.” 

Revali then went quiet. Zelda answered the silence with her own. She should have finished the last braid by now, but she found herself stalling. Talk of weddings, Revali’s wedding, had put her on edge somehow. She hoped that he couldn’t feel how her movements had slowed. 

“What about you, princess?” 

She paused. “What about me?”

“Any thoughts to share regarding your future engagement? I’m sure that you have suitors fighting each other tooth and nail for your attention.”

“Father will have me marry a royal that will improve Hylian relations where need be.” she said curtly. 

Revali turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. “What?”

The movement had pulled his hair from her hands. Zelda retrieved it and started the braid again. “Hylian relations with the other kingdoms of Hyrule are vital to keeping the land at peace. Wherever Hylian relations are suffering I will be used to create a new tie between the kingdoms and rectify the damage.” 

Revali blinked. “And this...includes everyone?”

Zelda looked at him quizzically. 

“I mean...say the Gorons start to dislike Hylians. Would you be married to a Goron to fix it?”

“If the marriage would prevent a war, yes.” 

“What if the Gerudo get upset? You would marry a Gerudo?”

“Father would abhor it, but yes.”

“What if…” Revali seemed to be speaking faster than he was thinking. “What if you fall in love?” 

Zelda bowed her head and focused on crossing one lock of hair over another. “Royal weddings are for political gain.” 

“But! If Hyrule is at peace and everyone is getting along would you be allowed to marry whomever you wished?”

“I don’t know, Revali.” She looked up at him, brows furrowed. “Pardon How this sounds, but why do you care so much?”

Revali abruptly looked forward again, hiding his face from her view and pulling his unfinished braid from her hands. Zelda watched the braid unwind sadly. Was the Flight Range cursed? Did every conversation held inside its walls have to end in tragedy? 

Zelda rubbed more oil onto her hands and reapplied it to Revali’s loose hair. He stayed quiet, not even moving when she brushed her fingers against the back of his head. She completed the braid, fastened it with ribbon, and slipped a bead into place. Revali stood up once she was finished and turned to face her. She expected him to make his way to the landing and take off, or to bid her farewell and wave her towards the ladder. Instead he sat back down facing her. 

“Turn around,” he said. 

“Why?” 

He pulled the braiding box into his lap. “Just humor me, will you?”

Zelda complied and turned to face the back wall of the Flight Range. She sat there for a long time in silence. Had Revali tricked her so that he could leave undetected? She started turning her head to check when a feathery hand landed on her shoulder. 

“I...ugh,” he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before - braided for someone else.” 

“You don’t have to if you don’t-“

“Princess, braiding is not something that can be one sided. It’s far too important, too special, too...intimate. Besides, even if I didn’t have to, the truth is that I want to.” 

Zelda felt her face light up in a flush. All that time ago when she had first offered to braid his hair he had said that braiding was for close friends and couples. They were friends undoubtedly, but there was something in Revali’s voice. Something in the way their eyes met and how she felt when he was around. For him to say that he wanted to braid her hair...was he saying…?

Feathery fingers cupped her hair. She could smell the sharp, clean scent of the pine. As Revali oiled her hair he began to speak. 

“Purple is for retired warriors. It’s one of the hardest dies to make, so it’s held in extremely high regard. Blue is for travelers. You’ll see Rito merchants wearing these mostly, so the meaning has shifted more to represent vendors.”

The braid he was making was small. She would be surprised if it was wider than a finger when he was finished. She wanted to ask why, but she didn’t want to interrupt. Part of her was afraid that doing so would lead to another disastrous conversation. Besides, Revali liked to hear himself speak. 

“Pink is for artists. It’s a sign of aestheticism and it’s usually worn by painters or builders. Black is for funerals. Mourning.” 

He started another braid. It was just as small as the last. 

“Orange is for scholars. Historians, geographers, naturalists and the like. Brown is popular with bakers nowadays, but it was never a color anyone really cared about. There’s also cyan, but you don’t see many Rito wearing those. It’s a sign that you can swim.”

Zelda turned her head slightly. “Is that-“

“Feathers get water logged, so you won’t see many Rito around beaches. Although, I’m sure if I had a need for such a frivolous skill I could master it with ease.” 

He started a third braid. 

“Of course, the axe heads also have different meanings depending on the color.”

“Axe heads?”

“Surely you’ve noticed those crescent shaped metal bits on the ends of some Rito’s braids. They’re called axe heads due to their shape. If you braid your hair close to your face then you wear axe heads to keep them out of the way when flying and fighting. It’s a way of weighing down the hair without having to tie it back.” 

“Why don’t you wear your braids in front?” 

“Just a preference. I spend all of my time training and fighting. Keeping my braids in the back is easier for me.” He paused. “Not that I couldn’t-“

“Oh no, of course not,” she answered. 

Revali smiled. He took the three small braids and started braiding them together into yet another braid. 

“So what do the axe head colors mean?” She asked. 

“Honestly, I’m not that well versed.” he sighed. “I don’t use them so I never cared to learn. I do know that red is mandatory for members of the guard. Soldiers as you’d call them. Generals wear those ridiculous feathers on their heads. Honestly, they’re the equivalent of wearing a target on your back. That’s why I refuse to wear them.”

“Revali, you’re a general?” 

He tsked. “In a sense. They want me to be one so I can lead them in battle and order them around. While I appreciate their obedience and respect - I do deserve it - I never spent all my time training for them. I fight alone.” He tied the braided braids together with ribbon. “That’s why I have those leather strips braided into my hair. They symbolize my rank among Rito warriors. I’m somewhere between a general and whatever would be above that.” 

With her braid in place Zelda started to stand up. 

“Wait! Uh, just one more thing.” 

Behind her Revali shifted back and forth. He was searching his pockets for something. After a minute he took her braid in hand and slipped something onto the end. When he was finished - and had been quiet for quite some time - Zelda reached behind her and pulled the braid over her shoulder. It was a simple thing, but it was beautiful to her. The individual braids were tight and uniform. Looking closer she saw that he had braided a feather - his feather - amongst the three smaller braids. Attached to the end of it all was a bright, white bead. 

They both stood up and she turned to face him, beaming. 

“Revali, it’s beautiful.” She stroked it lovingly. 

Revali’s feathers ruffled and he turned his face to the side. “We-he-el,” he laughed nervously, “of course it is. I made it, didn’t I?” 

“But, uhm,” Revali stiffened as she ran a finger over the bead. “You never said what white means.” 

Revali adjusted his scarf. His eyes darted around the Range. 

“White is...it’s a common gift given to...friends. It symbolizes companionship.” 

Zelda smiled. “Oh, Revali, thank you. I'm sorry that I don’t have one to give you in return.” 

Revali said nothing, instead turning to close his braiding box and set it on a nearby shelf. Zelda continued inspecting the bead. It caught the light and sparkled. 

“Revali, does this bead have a different meaning if it’s glass?” 

Revali kept his head turned. He took a deep breath. “Clay beads in white are symbolic of friendship and trust. But, white glass beads,” he turned to face her, “mean that you’ve made a promise to someone.” 

Zelda’s breath floated before her eyes in misty clouds. “What promise did you make?” 

“I’m going to make it now.” He moved towards her with slow, unsteady steps. When they were less than a foot apart he reached for her hand. She gave it. Her eyes, when standing so close, seemed to almost glow. 

He looked down at her gloved hand in his wing. “I promise,” he threw his shoulders back. His usual moxie had returned to his voice. “I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep Hyrule safe - to keep it at peace and to maintain that peace. Not just for your wellbeing, but also…” he took another steadying breath, “but also for your future.” 

“Is this about my, uhm,” she was blushing terribly but she dared not look away from him. Their eyes were meeting for what felt like the first time in years. “About me being married should Hyrule-“

“Should Hyrule start fighting with each other, yes.” 

“So that if I fall in love-“

“Yes.” His wing tightened on her hand. 

“So that I won’t have to marry a Goron.” she giggled. 

Revali bristled. “Above all else.” 

Zelda raised her other hand and put it over Revali’s wing. “I want to make a promise too.” 

“O-oh really? You don’t need to repay the favor or anything I assure you, princess.” 

Zelda’s voice was soft and knowing. “I promise that I’ll wait for you. No matter how long it takes for peace to come, or what may happen before it does, I will be waiting for you to keep your promise. So that when it does...” she pulled their clasped hands to her chest- “we can be together.”

Revali gasped, cleared his throat, made a few incoherent noises. Zelda patted his wing, quieting him. His pupils had shifted. Before they had been slitted, much like a cat’s. That was the norm for Rito eyes. But now they were wide and round. 

“You promise?” asked quietly. 

“I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kass is responsible for the “bigger bead = more kids” thing. The guy has, what, seven kids and wears a huge red bead on his head. Teba also wears a red bead so I connected those dots (that probably don’t exist but whatever). The rest of the headcanons were all homemade in my membrane! 
> 
> Ive got more stories on the way, and of course Golden Plummage is still waiting on its second chapter. I’ll see you all in the next fic, and please don’t forget to kudo and comment!


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